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Despite a sharp surge in non-performing assets (NPA), commercial banks have managed to post healthy growth in their profits in the last fiscal year. The fourth quarter report of the 20 commercial banks shows their profit grew by 25.03 percent FY 2022/23.

Of the 20 banks that have published their financial reports, 18 reported an increase in their profits in FY 2022/23 compared to FY 2021/22. Two banks—Kumari Bank and Prime Commercial Bank have logged a decline in profits.

While banks’ net profit surged by 25.03 percent, their distributable profit declined by 26 percent as they have to set aside a significant amount for regulatory adjustment. Although the profit of the banks reached Rs 70.17bn, their distributable profit which they can distribute to the shareholders is only Rs 31.9bn.

The banks managed to improve profits after they focused aggressively in loan recovery in the last quarter of the last fiscal year. However, their NPA has surged as they failed to recover the loans as expected.  The banks’ NPA stood at 2.8 percent in FY 2022/23 compared to 1.26 percent in FY 2021/22.

With the country grappling with economic downturn, banks experienced difficulties in the recovery of loans and debt servicing in the last fiscal. While the banks' bad loans have been gradually increasing from the start of the current fiscal year, the NPA declined in the last quarter of FY 2022/23. The NPA which rose to 3.03 percent in the third quarter of the last fiscal came down to 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter. 

Bankers attribute the rise in NPA to the slowing economic activities coupled with higher interest rates, and the declining ability of borrowers to repay debts. Sanima Bank CEO Nischal Raj Pandey said that there has been some improvement in the banking sector with economic activities taking pace in the last quarter. “The borrowers generally pay back their loans in the last quarter as banks also prod them. The Nepal Rastra Bank also allowed banks to restructure and reschedule the loans of the certain sectors that have been hard hit by the economic downturn,” said Pandey.

The banks’ fourth quarter report shows two banks’ profit has crossed the Rs 7bn mark while three other banks earned above Rs 4bn in profit in the last fiscal. There are seven other banks whose profit has crossed the Rs 3bn mark in FY 2022/23. 

Nabil Bank has topped the chart as the bank’s profit grew by a whopping 76.94 percent in the last fiscal to Rs 7.52bn. The Global IME Bank is second on the list with a profit of Rs 7.25bn, an increment of 46.17 percent followed by Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) which has reported a profit of Rs 4.91bn. However, RBB’s profit grew by 14.45 percent in the last fiscal.

Kumari Bank reported a 24.12 percent decline in its net profit as the bank managed to earn Rs 1.95bn in FY 2022/23 compared to profit of Rs 2.57bn in FY 2021/22. Prime Commercial Bank’s net profit plunged by 18.6 percent to Rs 2.26bn in the last fiscal. 

Banks’ profit

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 3. 21 points to close at 2,048.26 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 1. 59 points to close at 390. 43 points.

A total of 6,647,143-unit shares of 267 companies were traded for Rs 2. 33 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal Republic Media Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 99 percent.

Likewise, Chhyangdi Hydropower Ltd was the top loser with its price dropping by 6. 45 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 03 trillion.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 100 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow bullion is being traded at Rs 112, 400 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 112, 500 per tola on Sunday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 111, 850 per tola. It was traded at Rs 111, 950.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,425 per tola today.

Manungkot, an emerging tourism hub in Byas Municipality-5 of Tanahun, now has witnessed a declining number of visitors.

The area had come to a wider publicity amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

There used to be a large inflow of tourists to the area from different districts of the country.

With the passage of time, the attractive tourist destination has lost its popular image.

Especially during the winter months, tourists turn up Manungkot to see foggy ambience and sunshine.

Byas-5 Ward Chair Bishnu Kumar Shrestha said there was a crowd of tourists in Manungkot in the winter season.

"Manungkot is special in the winter times. Tourists from different areas throng the place to enjoy panoramic foggy surrounding and sunshine", he said.

There is a nominal number of tourists ascending to Manungkot in other seasons, he said, adding hundreds of tourists arrive here on the daily basis to enjoy in the cold season.

The trend of establishing new hotels has increased with the rise in the mobility of tourists in Manungkot.

He said, "The municipality has also been effortful to promote tourism in Manungkot. The Ultra Marathon tournament has been taking place from Manungkot to Pulimarang every year".

One can enjoy the scenic beauty of the Himalayas, including Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, Manaslu, Lamjung Himal from Manungkot.

Even local people reach Manungkot in the morning in the winter times to get warm as sunshine is early in the altitudinal area.

With the place drawing increasing attraction of tourists, the folks who descended to the city had also started doing business in Manungkot again.

The local people had left their village due to the water crisis.

Manungkot now has become an alternative to the processed jar water and tanker transported water in the city area.

Basanti Thapa, who left Manungkot in 2052 BS due to the water crisis, now runs a hotel in the same place

She said her family returned to Manungkot with the increase in the inflow of tourists here.

The road to Manungkot has been blacktopped.

It was done with the financial investment of the Ministry of Urban Development.

The 4300-meter road from Alaiinche to Manungkot has been blacktopped.